SCSU Coborn Plaza Apartment Residency Continues to Climb

ST. CLOUD -- More St. Cloud State University students are choosing to live in the Coborn Plaza Apartments.

Wanda Overland is the Vice President of Student Life and Development at St. Cloud State. She says this year's occupancy rate is up four percent from last year.

"We've set occupancy goals every year. The last three years we've exceeded our goals every year. So we were really pleased. Last year, during the academic year we were about 87 percent occupancy, there are 453 beds, we were at 396. This year we are at 91 percent, we have out of the 453 [units], 412 students living in Coborn [Plaza]."

The apartments are the most expensive option St. Cloud State offers for on-campus housing. Overland says although it does cost more to live at Coborn Plaza, compared to the traditional dorms, it's not very different from what they would pay living off campus.

"When we started the Coborn Plaza initiative there was this perception that it's more expensive but if you really looked at comparing what a student would pay for cable, wifi, and parking off-campus it was pretty comparable."

For a traditional dorm room on campus, the least expensive, non-renovated double rooms will run students about $532 a month. As for off-campus, St. Cloud renting rates can range anywhere between $200 or more per month. Rates can vary depending on the number of roommates living in a house or apartment.

Overland says she thinks more students are choosing Coborn Plaza because it offers a higher level of privacy than a traditional dorm and they've been able to highlight its features through social media.

"I think it's the work we've consistently done over the last few years to showcase the Coborn Plaza, along with our other resident halls too. To just talk about the value and give students choices about how they want their living experience to be."

The Coborn Plaza Apartments opened on 5th Avenue in 2010, it was a $30 million project.